Mama Moo on a Swing

It was a summer’s day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the flies were buzzing. All the cows were grazing in the pasture — all except Mama Moo.

Mama Moo had sneaked away from the others and jumped over the fence. She had taken her bicycle and rode off toward Crow Forest. She was carrying something in the package holder on her bicycle.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Mama Moo knocked on Crow’s branch.
“Hi, Crow!”, she whispered.

Mama Moo on a Swing [Illustrations by Sven Nordqvist]

Crow stuck his head out of his nest. He cried out so loudly that he could be heard a long way off.

“Hi, Mama Moo, is that you!

What are you doing here in the forest?

You should be out in the pasture chewing your cud and staring around like a normal cow.”

“SHHH!” whispered Mama Moo,

“Don’t talk so loud, I don’t want the farmer to hear us.”

FLAP, FLAP, THUD.

Crow flew down from his nest and landed on the handlebars.

“Have you run away again?” he asked.

“I just wanted to ask you if you could help me with something,” Mama Moo said.

Just then Crow caught sight of something.

“Caw! Well what have you got in the package holder?” he wanted to know. “A board and two pieces of rope!”

“It’s to make a swing with, Crow,” said Mama Moo.

“No way,” said Crow firmly.

“Yes, it is,” said Mama Moo quietly.

“I want to swing, you see.

I have long ropes. They’ll reach up to the first branch, and you can tie them there.”

“ME!” he cried “TIE! Well, pull my tailfeathers!”

The crow flew off the handlebars. He flew around Mama Moo’s head as fast as he could.

“I’m not setting up a swing for a COW!”

“But I can’t tie it myself,” Mama Moo answered sweetly.

“But you have wings that are like hands.

And I can’t reach up to the first branch, but you can because you can fly.”

Crow landed on a branch right in front of her nose.

“You are a cow, Mama Moo,” he said. “A strange cow, but still a cow. Cows—Do Not—Swing.”

“That’s just the point,” said Mama Moo. “It’s a pity that poor cows never get a chance to swing.”

“Pity!” cried Crow. “Caw!” Cows walk around grazing, and then they lie down and chew their cud and stare at things. And then they go inside and get milked. They are quite satisfied with things the way they are.”

“Would you be satisfied with that?” Mama Moo asked.

“Not me!” cried Crow, “I’m a crow.”

“I’m not satisfied with it either,” said Mama Moo.

“It doesn’t matter what you say,” said Crow.

“I’m simply not going to do it. Let’s not discuss it any more.”

Mama Moo looked at the crow with her big kind eyes. She spoke in her softest voice.
“Children do so many things that are fun,” she said “The farmer’s daughter told me that she likes to swing, so I wanted to try it too. But then she said it probably wouldn’t work because no one would want to put up a swing for a cow. But I told her that I have a friend, a good friend who is very kind and helps me whenever I need him. He won’t say no when I ask him.

My friend’s name is Crow, and I like him very much.”
Crow sat still and looked at her.

He didn’t say anything for a long while.

Then he sighed.

“Should I put it on the lowest branch?” he asked.

“Oh, you are so very kind, Crow”, cried Mama Moo.

“The lowest branch probably would be best.

Then I can swing out in both directions.”

The crow flew up with the ropes. He tied them around the branch. He tied them fast with his strongest knots.

“Well done, Crow,” said Mama Moo. “Now I’ll test the swing.”

Mama Moo took a few steps backward and then sat down on the swing. Everything went fine for a moment, but then she was sitting still.

“Crow, it’s not swinging. You’ll have to push me to get me going.”

“Push!” snorted the crow. “You expect me to push a cow on a swing. Well, Pull my tailfeathers! If anyone is going to push, it should be you.”

“But, Crow, I can’t push myself when I’m swinging, can I?”

“Forget it then,” said Crow. “I’m not pushing.”

Mama Moo wagged her tail, but that didn’t help.

The swing would not swing.

She wagged her tail and lifted her back legs.
But she only lifted one leg at a time, so the swing would still not swing.

Then she wagged her tail and lifted both the back and front legs, but she lost her grip and nearly fell off.

Finally she shook her horns, wagged her tail and stretched out both back legs and leaned back and then

The wind whistled by Mama Moo’s ears.

Her hair flew in the wind, and there were butterflies in her stomach.

“Now it’s your turn, Crow!” cried Mama Moo.
“Caw!” the Crow answered.

“My turn! To swing? Well, pull my tailfeathers! You’ve talked me into a lot of crazy things, but to swing, no way!

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